Can crushing apparatus

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for crushing waste objects such as cans, containers, bottles and the like, including motor-driven screw and nut means for displacing a crusher member in a given direction to compress waste objects contained in a crushing chamber. The invention is characterized by the provision of quick-release means for disengaging the nut means from the screw means to permit instantaneous return of the crusher member to its initial retracted position by return spring means. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the nut means is of the split-nut type including nut sections that are automatically locked into threaded engagement with the screw by an axially shiftable collar upon closure of a cover member upon the crushing chamber. Means responsive to the crushing pressure near the end of the crusher stroke are provided for disengaging the nut sections from the screw means.

United States Patent [72] Inv n o Herbert ha 3,315,594 4/1967 Simshauser 100/52 5532 Beechwood, Ravenna, Ohio 44266 3,460,463 8/1969 Jernstrom 100/52 25 3 1969 Primary Examiner-William I. Price [45] Patented l971 Assistant Examiner-Philip R. Coe

y Attorney-Scrivener, Parker, Scrivener and Clarke [54] CAN CRUSHING APPARATUS ABSTRACT: Apparatus for crushingwaste objects such as 11 Chims, 6 Drawing Figs cans, containers, bottles and the l ke, including motor-dr ven screw and nut means for displacing a crusher member in a U-S- given direction to compress waste objects contained in a 100/ 100/ loo/266 100/ 289 crushing chamber. The invention is characterized by the [51] Int. CL B30bl5/18, provision f quick release means f disengaging the nut 1330b [5/ 22 means from the screw means to permit instantaneous return of [50] Field of Search lOO/(DIG. the crusher member to its initial retracted position by return 1), (DIG- 266, 289, 218 spring means. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the nut means is of the split-nut type including nut sections [56] References cued that are automatically locked into threaded engagement with UNITED STATES PATENTS the screw by an axially shiftable collar upon closure of a cover 2,813,569 1 1 1957 Nelson 100/53 member upon the crushing chamber. Means responsive to the 3,024,720 3/ 1962 Welsh 100/53 crushing pressure near the end of the crusher stroke are pro- 3,204,550 9/1965 Swiderski et al 100/52 vided for disengaging the nut sections from the screw means.

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ATTORNEYS CAN CRUSI-IING APPARATUS As evidenced by the prior US. Pat. No. 3,079,856 to Schwartz and U.S. Pat. No. 3,204,550 to Swiderski, can crushing devices have been proposed in the prior art including ram screw drive means for operating a crusher member relative to a housing chamber to crush waste objects therein. One drawback of these known devices is the appreciable operating time required for opening the crushing chamber, inserting waste material into the chamber, crushing the material, returning the crusher member to its initial retracted position, opening the chamber, and removing the crushed material from the chamber. The present invention was developed to avoid the above and other drawbacks of the known crushing apparatus and to provide an improved crushing apparatus that is automatically activated upon closure of a top cover member following insertion of the waste into a crushing chamber, and is automatically deactivated and quickly returned to its initial condition upon completion of the crushing stroke.

Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide crushing apparatus including screw and nut means for displacing a crusher member in one direction to'crush ob jects contained in a chamber, and quick-release means operable when the crusher member is near the end of its stroke for disengaging the nut means from the screw means to permit rapid return of the crusher member to its initial retracted position. According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the nut means are of the split nut type including a plurality of nut sections slidably mounted in radial slots contained in the body portion of a rotatably driven collet, said sections being maintained in engagement with the screw means by a locking collar. Means responsive to the crushing pressure near the end of the crushing stroke are provided for shifting the locking collar to the release position relative to the nut means, thereby effecting disengagement of the nut means from the screw means to permit quick return of the crusher member to its initial position.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide crusher apparatus of the type described above, including cover means for closing the top of the crusher chamber, and means responsive to movement of the cover to the closed position for shifting the collar means to the locked position relative to said nut means, whereby the nut sections are displaced radially inwardly into engagement with the screw means to initiate the crusher operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide the crusher apparatus with latch means maintaining the cover in the closed condition, and means operable by said pressureresponsive means for releasing said latch means and for opening said coversimultaneously with the disengagement of said nut means and the quick return of the crusher member.

Another object of the invention is to provide crusher apparatus of the type described above, and further including normally deenergized electric motor means for driving said crusher member in the crushing direction, and switch means operable in response to closure of said cover for energizing said motor to initiate crushing operation. Upon completion of the crushing stroke and opening of the cover by said pressure responsive means, said switch means are opened to automatically deactivate the drive means.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from a study of the following specification when viewed in the light of the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic sectional view of the crushing apparatus of the present invention, the locking collar being illustrated in the released position;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1, the locking collar being illustrated in the locked position;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the collet and nut means;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the yoke means for operating the nut locking collar;

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the pressure plate and latch means; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 1.

, Referring nowto FIG. 1, the crushing apparatus includes a housing 2 containing a chamber 4 for receiving objects to be crushed, such-as cans, bottles, plastic receptacles and the like, and for discharging the crushed waste through bottom discharge opening 5. Arranged for reciprocatory movement in the crushing chamber is a crusher member 6 to the rear surface of which is rigidly secured a screw member 8. A collet 10 is provided having a tubular portion 10a that is arranged concentrically about the screw 8 and is journaled in an opening contained in the housing wall portion 2a. At the end adjacent the crusher member 6, the collet is provided with a body portion 10b containing a plurality of radial slots 100 (FIG. 3) that slidably receive the sections 12a of split nut means 12. End disc 10d is connected by bolts 102 to the end of the collet body portion to retain the nut sections in their slots, respectively.

Arranged concentrically about the collet body portion 10b is an annular locking collar 14 having an inner peripheral cam nut sections 12a. On its outer periphery, the collar 14 contains a continuous circular slot 16 that receives a pair of opposed inwardly directed pins 18 carried by the arms 20a of ,a U-

shaped yoke member 20. At its lower end, the yoke is pivotally I connected with the housing 2 by means of fixed pivot 22, and

at its upper end, the yoke contains bores 24 that slidably receive headed connecting bolts 26 (FIG. 6) the free ends of which are pivotally connected by pivots 28 with projections 30a that extend downwardly from the cover 30 adjacent its pivotal connection 32 to the housing 2. Cover springs 34 arranged concentrically on the bolts 26 bias yoke 20 in the counterclockwise direction relative to its pivot 22, so that when cover 30 is pivotally lowered from the open position of FIG. 1 to a horizontal position closing the top of crushing chamber 4, bolts 26 are shifted to the left to pivot yoke 20 in the counterclockwise direction, thus shifting collar 14 axially to the left to the locked position of FIG. 2, whereby nut sections 12a are displaced radially inwardly into threaded engagement with screw 8.

Connected by key and slot means 35 to the free extremity of collet tubular portion 10a on the opposite side of the housing wall 2a from the split nut means 12 is a drive pulley or spr0cket'36 that is driven via endless belt means 38 by an electric motor 40. The motor is connected with voltage source 42 via normally open switch means 44, which switch means are arranged to be closed to energize the motor upon lowering of cover 30 to its horizontal position closing the top of crusher chamber 4. Owing to thekey-slot connection 35, a limited degree of axial displacement is permitted collet l0 and drive pulley 36, as will be discussed below.

In accordance with an important feature of the present invention, quick-return means are provided that are automatically operable near the end of the crushing stroke to quickly return the crusher member to its initial retracted position. To this end, return tension springs 50 are connected between the crusher member 6 and the housing wall 20 for continuously biasing the crusher member to the left toward the retracted position of FIGS. 1 and 2 in engagement with the housing stop means 2b. Furthermore, means responsive to the crushing pressure near the end of the crushing stroke are provided for shifting collar I4 from its locked position (FIG. 2) to the released position (FIG. 1) to effect disengagement of the split nut sections from the screw means, whereby the crusher member is free for quick return by the spring means 50. To

According to another important feature of the invention, latch means 60 are provided for locking the cover 30 in the closed position, said latch means including a latch member 62 connected with the housing 2 for reciprocatory movement parallel with the screw member 8, said latch member being nonnally biased to the right toward a latched position relative to the cover by tension spring 64 connected between latch projecting portion 62a and projection 580 on pressure plate 58.

OPERATION in operation, assume that the crusher apparatus is in the initial deactivated condition illustrated in FIG. 1, wherein motor 40 is deenergized, cover 30 is biased open by cover springs 34, collar 14 is in its right-hand released position effecting disengagement of nut sections 12a from screw 8, crusher member 6 is retracted by return tension springs 50 to the retracted position in engagement with housing stop means 2b, and collet 10 is biased to the right relative to drive pulley 36 by compression springs 62.

Following insertion of the waste objects to be crushed within the chamber 4, cover 30 is pivoted downwardly to close the top of the chamber, to operate switch 44 to energize motor 40, and to shift pins 26 to the left, whereupon cover springs 34 pivot yoke in the clockwise direction relative to pivot 22 and thereby shift collar 14 to the left to cam the nut sections 120 downwardly into threaded engagement with screw 8. Latch member 62 is shifted to the right by spring 64 to lock the cover in the closed position, and owing to the energization of motor 40, pulley 36 and collet 10 are rotated by the endless belt 38 to initiate displacement of screw 8 and crusher member 6 to the right in the crushing direction relative to chamber 4.

As the crushing reaction pressure builds up on crusher member 6 during continued rotation of motor 40 and corresponding displacement of member 8 to the right by the split nut and screw means, the pressure is transmitted to the left via thrust bearings 56 and pressure plate 58 to further compress the compression springs 62. As the crusher member 6 approaches the end of its crushing stroke, the compressive force on springs 62 is built up to such a value that collet 10 is shifted to the left relative to drive pulley 36 toward the left hand end position defined by key slot 35, whereuponpressure plate 58 is shifted to the left to unlatch latch member 62, and collet body portion 10b is displaced to the left to the released position relative to collar 1 1. Since the cover 30 is now unlatched, it is pivoted by cover springs 34 to the open position illustrated in FIG. 1, thereby operating switch means 44 to deenergize the drive motor 40. Since collar 14 is now in the released position, the nut sections 12a are displaced radially outwardly in the slots in collet body portion 10b (by the pitch of the threads of the screw member 8), and owing to the disengagement of the nut means from the screw means, the crusher member 6 together with the screw member 8 are quickly shifted to the left by the return springs 50, whereupon crusher member 8 is retracted against the housing stop means 2b.

While in accordance with the provisions of the Patent Statutes, the preferred form and embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent that various changes and modifications may be made without deviating from the inventive concept.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for crushing waste objects, comprising:

housing means containing a crushing chamber;

a crusher member arranged for reciprocatory movement in said chamber;

return spring means biasing said crusher member in one direction toward a retracted position in said chamber; drive means for displacing said crusher member in the opposite direction in said chamber to crush objects contained therein, said drive means including threadably connected screw and nut means one of which is connected with said housing means and the other of which is connected with said crusher member, respectively; and V quick release means operable when said crusher member is near the end of its crushing stroke for disengaging said nut means from said screw means, thereby causing quick return of said crusher member to its retracted position by said spring means.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said nut means is of the split-nut type including a plurality of nut sections, and further wherein said drive means includes a collar initially having a locked position for maintaining the sections of said split-nut means in threaded engagement with said screw means, said quick-release means being operable to shift said collar axially toward a released position relative to the nut sections and thereby effect disengagement of said split-nut means from said screw means.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said housing includes also a cover for closing the top of said crushing chamber, and yoke means operable when said cover is displaced toward the closed position for axially shifting said collar from the released position to the locked position.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said drive means includes an electric motor for driving one of said screw and nut means; and further including switch means for energizing said electric motor only when the cover is in the closed position relative to the chamber.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 3, and further including latch means connected with said housing for latching said cover in the closed position.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5, and further including cover spring means biasing said cover toward the open position relative to said crushing chamber, and means operable by said quick-release means for releasing said latch means simultaneously with the disengagement of said nut means, whereby said cover is automatically opened simultaneously with the return of said crusher member to its initial retracted position.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said screw means includes a screw member connected at one end with said crusher member; and further wherein said split nut means includes a collet having a tubular position arranged concentrically about said screw member and joumaled in an opening contained in a wall portion of said housing, said collet includ ing also a body portion arranged between said housing wall and said crusher member, said body portion containing a plurality of radial slots slidably receiving the sections of said split nut means, respectively, said collar being arranged concentrically about and axially shiftable relative to said collet body portion.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein said drive means includes drive pulley means connected with the tubular portion of said collet.

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said quickrelease means includes means responsive to the crushing pressure developed by said crusher member for shifting said collar from the locked position to the released position relative to said split nut means.

10. Apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein said drive means further includes key and slot means connecting said collet for limited axial movement relative to said drive pulley means; and further wherein said crushing pressure responsive means comprises compression spring means arranged between said housing wall for biasing said collet away from said housing wall toward one end position relative to said drive pulley means as defined by said key slot means, said collet being shiftable in the opposite direction against the biasing force of said compression spring means by the reaction pressure developed on the crusher member near the end of the crushing stroke to shift said collar from the locked position to the released position relative to said collet body portion.

1 1. Apparatus as defined in claim 10, and further including:

cover means connected with said housing for closing the crushing chamber;

latch means normally latching said cover in the closed position; and

means responsive to the displacement of said collet relative to said drive pulley means by said pressure responsive means for unlocking said latch means to permit opening of said cover. 

1. Apparatus for crushing waste objects, comprising: housing means containing a crushing chamber; a crusher member arranged for reciprocatory movement in said chamber; return spring means biasing said crusher member in one direction toward a retracted position in said chamber; drive means for displacing said crusher member in the opposite direction in said chamber to crush objects contained therein, said drive means including threadably connected screw and nut means one of which is connected with said housing means and the other of which is connected with said crusher member, respectively; and quick release means operable when said crusher member is near the end of its crushing stroke for disengaging said nut means from said screw means, thereby causing quick return of said crusher member to its retracted position by said spring means.
 2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said nut means is of the split-nut type including a plurality of nut sections, and further wherein said drive means includes a collar initially having a locked position for maintaining the sections of said split-nut means in threaded engagement with said screw means, said quick-release means being operable to shift said collar axially toward a released position relative to the nut sections and thereby effect disengagement of said split-nut means from said screw means.
 3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said housing includes also a cover for closing the top of said crushing chamber, and yoke means operable when said cover is displaced toward the closed position for axially shifting said collar from the released position to the locked position.
 4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said drive means includes an electric motor for driving one of said screw and nut means; and further including switch means for energizing said electric motor only when the cover is in the closed position relative to the chamber.
 5. Apparatus as defined in claim 3, and further including latch means connected with said housing for latching said cover in the closed position.
 6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5, and further including cover spring means biasing said cover toward the open position relative to said crushing chamber, and means operable by said quick-release means for releasing said latch means simultaneously with the disengagement of said nut means, whereby said cover is aUtomatically opened simultaneously with the return of said crusher member to its initial retracted position.
 7. Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said screw means includes a screw member connected at one end with said crusher member; and further wherein said split nut means includes a collet having a tubular position arranged concentrically about said screw member and journaled in an opening contained in a wall portion of said housing, said collet including also a body portion arranged between said housing wall and said crusher member, said body portion containing a plurality of radial slots slidably receiving the sections of said split nut means, respectively, said collar being arranged concentrically about and axially shiftable relative to said collet body portion.
 8. Apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein said drive means includes drive pulley means connected with the tubular portion of said collet.
 9. Apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said quick-release means includes means responsive to the crushing pressure developed by said crusher member for shifting said collar from the locked position to the released position relative to said split nut means.
 10. Apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein said drive means further includes key and slot means connecting said collet for limited axial movement relative to said drive pulley means; and further wherein said crushing pressure responsive means comprises compression spring means arranged between said housing wall for biasing said collet away from said housing wall toward one end position relative to said drive pulley means as defined by said key slot means, said collet being shiftable in the opposite direction against the biasing force of said compression spring means by the reaction pressure developed on the crusher member near the end of the crushing stroke to shift said collar from the locked position to the released position relative to said collet body portion.
 11. Apparatus as defined in claim 10, and further including: cover means connected with said housing for closing the crushing chamber; latch means normally latching said cover in the closed position; and means responsive to the displacement of said collet relative to said drive pulley means by said pressure responsive means for unlocking said latch means to permit opening of said cover. 